COMMUNITY trust chiefs are eyeing up the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital site for an ambitious #20 million city centre health hub.

With most hospital services set to transfer to Coventry's new Private Finance Initiative-backed facility at Walsgrave by 2005, the city site will be up for grabs.

A number of community services run by Coventry Healthcare NHS Trust, such as the genito-urinary clinic, women's health and information centre and the new walk-in centre operate from that site.

The trust is looking at how best to continue those services after the hospital closes down. Bosses are keen on a city centre location.

Other services are also being reviewed, in particular the mental health day centre and crisis response team, and the psychology, physiotherapy and speech therapy units, which will have to move from Gulson Road Hospital by autumn 2004.

Peter Boileau, chief executive of Coventry Health-care NHS Trust, said there would be significant benefits from pulling all of these services together and they would not want to rule out the Coventry and Warwickshire site, which is central and already well known to the public.

He said: "I think the city should have at least some central health service facilities.

"We have the Hillfields Health Centre behind the hospital which needs replacing and which could be brought together into any development.

"And we have to find some accommodation for the services at Gulson and the mental health services which will move from the Walsgrave."

If the Coventry and Warwickshire site was earmarked as first choice it would have to be agreed by Coventry Health Authority then go to the regional NHS Executive for support.

The trust might have to turn to a PFI bid themselves to bring in the required capital.

Mr Boileau added: "There is the potential that the site would meet our estate needs and the needs of the city for central health services.

"Initial discussions with the health authority and the region have been positive. Over the next 12 months we want to be clear about where we are going."